Hilltop Hoods is an Australian Hip Hop group consisting of Suffa and MC Pressure. The group is well known in the Australian Hip Hop scene, but not as prominent worldwide.

Drinking from the Sun is the group's sixth studio album. The record incorporates rock and pop sounds and samples which gives the record a big sound. Guest appearances include Sia and Chali 2na. The album combines pop sensibilities with a love for old school 90s hip hop.

I don't really have much to say, but it's always nice when Aussie hip-hop gets some attention, it's a shame most of the time it just ends up being a discussion about how most people cant stand the accent.

Anyway I love this album, definitely the best thing to come out of Aus in a long time. Suffa and Pressure have good flow, the productions great, and I love that DJ Debris is still a part of what they bring to the table. Also, the Black Thought feature makes me wonder how a Roots and Hoods collab would do.

most of the time it just ends up being a discussion about how most people cant stand the accent

I find this to be so disappointingly accurate. I can't blame anyone for disliking the sound of an accent if it just doesn't appeal to them, but I wish more people would give it a chance and see all that the genre has to offer behind the voice.

Anyone that would like to listen to some other Aussie artists, here are a few samples:

Ah no way, never thought I'd see Hilltop Hoods on here. They're actually the group that really got me into hip-hop. Personally I loved this album, "Speaking in Tongues", "Living in Bunkers", "The Underground" and the title track all being highlights, catchy hooks and fantastic features. "I Love It" and "Rattling the Keys to the Kingdom" never struck me as being too great and I was a little surprised that they were chosen as singles, but I don't dislike them. The only tracks I have any issue with are "Good for Nothing" (just not a huge fan of the rock/rap mixture) and "The Thirst pt. 2" comes across as kinda stupid with all the sound clips about the sun. All in all, the Hoods don't really cover a lot of new ground with this album, but that doesn't stop it from being a solid, accessible hip-hop album. It's not quite as good as "State of the Art" in my opinion, but still a great album none the less.

It took me a while to get into the Hoods when I first started listening to them, but this was the album that did it. From beginning to end, it's a great listen, and is put together incredibly well. After the first interlude, I think that Drinking From The Sun is a strong opening to the album.

Personal highlights are The Underground and Shredding the Balloon. The second verse in Shredding the Balloon is my favorite on the album, and I think that Suffa's lyricism and talent for storytelling are very strong there.

The Hilltop Hoods (supposedly, according to promises made and following a canceled 2013 tour) coming to the US sometime in 2014, and a tour announcement should be made soon!

If you're interested in the Hoods and learning about other artists, join us at /r/aussiehiphop!

Been listening to this for a couple of months and got to say it is a wicked album. Love all the songs but in particular drinking from the sun, rattling the keys to the kingdom and I love it. It isn't as good as the hard road or state of the art but pressures flow and ability to rap is incredible.

Seeing these guys in San Francisco in August. Incredibly stoked. Love this album, but also love the The Hard Road Restrung and State of the Art has really grown on me recently too. These guys are fantastic and it's terrible they don't get more attention in the US. I can't complain too much tho because show tickets were only $16 apiece!

Best track on the album BY FAR is "Rattling the Keys to the Kingdom", with "Shredding the Balloon" a comfortable second. I love the production and the lyricism on both tracks, particularly how both Suffa and Pressure ride the beat on "Rattling the Keys..." For me, in terms of both lyricism and subject matter, the only new school rapper in the US that is in the same league as HH is Kendrick. They aren't gangsta rap influenced like Kendrick, but the way they have combined catchy beats and raw lyricism is very similar to what Kendrick has done.

I'm really sorry, but I hate this album. It seems to be quite popular here though so I'll try and qualify it as much as I can.

It's just far too poppy for me, the beats are just pop songs with rap instead of singing. For some reason it reminds me of Linkin Park, which I liked a lot as a teenager, but it has no edge.

The lyrics are sentimental and bland, and never really about much. On Speaking In Tongues they tackle a big Australian issue - immigration and racism - but it's over a jolly pop beat that gives off a toothless "let's all get along" vibe rather than saying anything important. The bars are weak and I didn't notice a clever line in the whole thing ("bear with me like I'm standing with Grizzlys" unfortunately came the closest). Tracks like Lights Out sounds cool, but there's no message - just a vague "how far we've come" gist and a faux rebellious hook thrown in for no reason. Maybe there are Australian references I'm missing which would make me more interested, but I doubt it.

This is what I'm talking about:

I lay down my music ten feet from where I lay down
Immersed in them beats, short breaks turned to breakdowns
‘Cause when you work where you sleep, you don’t sleep
‘Cause you work on them beats till it hurts then you creep
Into bed and wake her from her sleep, and she’s hurt

They've lazily rhymed "beats" and "sleep" twice each, and not in a clever way.

The "too poppy" thing actually surprises me, since I feel like I don't take hip hop too seriously and have enjoyed lighter-hearted acts like Gym Class Heroes more than "serious" rappers. There's a duo here in the UK called Rizzle Kicks who are universally despised by hip hop heads here since they're just a couple of teenagers rapping over pop beats about talking to girls and drinking, rather than shouting about the struggle. I can't find another Rizzle Kicks fan that isn't a little girl but I love them. The difference is that their beats are much catchier and well-made than this boring middle-aged band with trumpets, and they really have personality and an endearing image, something I didn't get a trace of with the Hoods. I really think that if I'd been following them for years, and I knew anything about them apart from the photo at the top, I might be more invested in it. It's not much of a saving grace though, isn't it?

Standout tracks are I Love It (which has some decent technical rapping) and Rattling The Keys To The Kingdom (for a much better beat and some real attitude and flow).

I understand why you don't like this album. It isn't made for you. I'm Aussie, and I love this album. I don't think it's their best, but it is a great piece of work.

You are dead right about not getting it properly because you aren't Australian.

In much the same way i can't stand American rappers with grills and bentleys screaming over massive bass about the struggle, (because i have never lived it), I can't expect you to get the laid back easy vibe that let's any message slip through subtly.

Different Strokes for different folks. So you get an upvote for your well thought out citcism of one of my favourite bands.

I'm Canadian and hilltop are my favourite Hiphop artists by a ginormous margin. Have listened since I was 13 (18 now), starting with the nosebleed section (specifically the video on youtube of the bmx rider 😎).